1
|
Zhang Y, Urciuoli A, Zanolli C, Kullmer O, Wu X. Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of the bony labyrinth of Xujiayao 6. J Hum Evol 2024; 189:103514. [PMID: 38547737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Yameng Zhang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Environmental and Social Archaeology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China; Institute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Alessandro Urciuoli
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain; Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain; Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Universidad de Alcalá, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-UAH), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Clément Zanolli
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, F-33600, Pessac, France
| | - Ottmar Kullmer
- Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Paleobiology and Environment, Institute of Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Xiujie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bae CJ, Aiello LC, Hawks J, Kaifu Y, Lindal J, Martinón-Torres M, Ni X, Posth C, Radović P, Reed D, Schroeder L, Schwartz JH, Silcox MT, Welker F, Wu XJ, Zanolli C, Roksandic M. Moving away from "the Muddle in the Middle" toward solving the Chibanian puzzle. Evol Anthropol 2024; 33:e22011. [PMID: 37943093 DOI: 10.1002/evan.22011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Bae
- Department of Anthropology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawai, USA
| | - Leslie C Aiello
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK
- The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Inc., New York, New York, USA
| | - John Hawks
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Yousuke Kaifu
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joshua Lindal
- Department of Anthropology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK
- CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution), Burgos, Spain
| | - Xijun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cosimo Posth
- Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, Department of Geosciences and the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Predrag Radović
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- National Museum Kraljevo, Kraljevo, Serbia
| | - Denne Reed
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Lauren Schroeder
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- The Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Jeffrey H Schwartz
- Departments of Anthropology and History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mary T Silcox
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frido Welker
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Xiu-Jie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Clément Zanolli
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Mirjana Roksandic
- Department of Anthropology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wu X, Pei S, Cai Y, Tong H, Zhang Z, Yan Y, Xing S, Martinón-Torres M, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Liu W. Morphological and morphometric analyses of a late Middle Pleistocene hominin mandible from Hualongdong, China. J Hum Evol 2023; 182:103411. [PMID: 37531709 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Excavations in Hualongdong (HLD), East China, have yielded abundant hominin fossils dated to 300 ka. There is a nearly complete mandible that fits well with a partial cranium, and together they compose the skull labeled as HLD 6. Thus far, detailed morphological description and comparisons of the mandible have not been conducted. Here we present a comprehensive morphological, metric, and geometric morphometric assessment of this mandible and compare it with both adult and immature specimens of Pleistocene hominins and recent modern humans. Results indicate that the HLD 6 mandible exhibits a mosaic morphological pattern characterized by a robust corpus and relatively gracile symphysis and ramus. The moderately developed mental trigone and a clear anterior mandibular incurvation of the HLD 6 mandible are reminiscent of Late Pleistocene hominin and recent modern human morphology. However, the weak expression of all these features indicates that this mandible does not possess a true chin. Moreover, a suite of archaic features that resemble those of Middle Pleistocene hominins includes pronounced alveolar planum, superior transverse torus, thick corpus, a pronounced endocondyloid crest, and a well-developed medial pterygoid tubercle. The geometric morphometric analysis further confirms the mosaic pattern of the HLD 6 mandible. The combination of both archaic and modern human features identified in the HLD 6 mandible is unexpected, given its late Middle Pleistocene age and differs from approximately contemporaneous Homo members such as Xujiayao, Penghu, and Xiahe. This mosaic pattern has never been recorded in late Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil assemblages in East Asia. The HLD 6 mandible provides further support for the high morphological diversity during late Middle Pleistocene hominin evolution. With these findings, it is possible that modern human morphologies are present as early as 300 ka and earlier than the emergence of modern humans in East Asia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiujie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Shuwen Pei
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Yanjun Cai
- Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 710049, Xi'an, China
| | - Haowen Tong
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Ziliang Zhang
- Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Yi Yan
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Song Xing
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca S/n, Burgos, 09002, Spain.
| | | | - Wu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xing S, Zanolli C, Zhang Y. Introduction to special issue: Pleistocene hominid diversity and evolution in Asia-A tribute to Pan Lei. J Hum Evol 2023; 182:103416. [PMID: 37598633 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Song Xing
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.
| | - Clément Zanolli
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33600 Pessac, France.
| | - Yingqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Antón SC, Middleton ER. Making meaning from fragmentary fossils: Early Homo in the Early to early Middle Pleistocene. J Hum Evol 2023; 179:103307. [PMID: 37030994 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Journal of Human Evolution, we re-evaluate the fossil record for early Homo (principally Homo erectus, Homo habilis, and Homo rudolfensis) from early diversification and dispersal in the Early Pleistocene to the ultimate demise of H. erectus in the early Middle Pleistocene. The mid-1990s marked an important historical turning point in our understanding of early Homo with the redating of key H. erectus localities, the discovery of small H. erectus in Asia, and the recovery of an even earlier presence of early Homo in Africa. As such, we compare our understanding of early Homo before and after this time and discuss how the order of fossil discovery and a focus on anchor specimens has shaped, and in many ways biased, our interpretations of early Homo species and the fossils allocated to them. Fragmentary specimens may counter conventional wisdom but are often overlooked in broad narratives. We recognize at least three different cranial and two or three pelvic morphotypes of early Homo. Just one postcranial morph aligns with any certainty to a cranial species, highlighting the importance of explicitly identifying how we link specimens together and to species; we offer two ways of visualizing these connections. Chronologically and morphologically H. erectus is a member of early Homo, not a temporally more recent species necessarily evolved from either H. habilis or H. rudolfensis. Nonetheless, an ancestral-descendant notion of their evolution influences expectations around the anatomy of missing elements, especially the foot. Weak support for long-held notions of postcranial modernity in H. erectus raises the possibility of alternative drivers of dispersal. New observations suggest that the dearth of faces in later H. erectus may mask taxonomic diversity in Asia and suggest various later mid-Pleistocene populations could derive from either Asia or Africa. Future advances will rest on the development of nuanced ways to affiliate fossils, greater transparency of implicit assumptions, and attention to detailed life history information for comparative collections; all critical pursuits for future research given the great potential they have to enrich our evolutionary reconstructions for the next fifty years and beyond.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Antón
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, NY, NY 10003, USA.
| | - Emily R Middleton
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pestana C, de Sousa AA, Todorov OS, Beaudet A, Benoit J. Evolutionary history of hominin brain size and phylogenetic comparative methods. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023; 275:217-232. [PMID: 36841569 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
An absolutely and relatively large brain has traditionally been viewed as a distinctive characteristic of the Homo genus, with anatomically modern humans presented at the apex of a long line of progressive increases in encephalization. Many studies continue to focus attention on increasing brain size in the Homo genus, while excluding measures of absolute and relative brain size of more geologically recent, smaller brained, hominins such as Homo floresiensis, and Homo naledi and smaller brained Homo erectus specimens. This review discusses the benefits of using phylogenetic comparative methods to trace the diverse changes in hominin brain evolution and the drawbacks of not doing so.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Pestana
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Orlin S Todorov
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Amélie Beaudet
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julien Benoit
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Harvati K, Reyes-Centeno H. Evolution of Homo in the Middle and Late Pleistocene. J Hum Evol 2022; 173:103279. [PMID: 36375244 PMCID: PMC9703123 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The Middle and Late Pleistocene is arguably the most interesting period in human evolution. This broad period witnessed the evolution of our own lineage, as well as that of our sister taxon, the Neanderthals, and related Denisovans. It is exceptionally rich in both fossil and archaeological remains, and uniquely benefits from insights gained through molecular approaches, such as paleogenetics and paleoproteomics, that are currently not widely applicable in earlier contexts. This wealth of information paints a highly complex picture, often described as 'the Muddle in the Middle,' defying the common adage that 'more evidence is needed' to resolve it. Here we review competing phylogenetic scenarios and the historical and theoretical developments that shaped our approaches to the fossil record, as well as some of the many remaining open questions associated with this period. We propose that advancing our understanding of this critical time requires more than the addition of data and will necessitate a major shift in our conceptual and theoretical framework.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Harvati
- Paleoanthropology, Institute for Archaeological Sciences and Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Rümelinstrasse 19-23, Tübingen 72070, Germany; DFG Centre for Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools: Tracking Linguistic, Cultural and Biological Trajectories of the Human Past', Rümelinstrasse 19-23, Tübingen 72070, Germany.
| | - Hugo Reyes-Centeno
- Department of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, 211 Lafferty Hall, Lexington, KY 40506, USA; William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, 1020 Export St, Lexington, KY 40504, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Roksandic M, Radović P, Wu XJ, Bae CJ. Homo bodoensis and why it matters. Evol Anthropol 2022; 31:240-244. [PMID: 35924751 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
In our original paper, we proposed a new species, Homo bodoensis, to replace the problematical taxa Homo heidelbergensis and Homo rhodesiensis, with the goal of streamlining communication about human evolution in the Chibanian. We received two independent responses. Given their substantial overlap, we provide one combined reply. In this response: (1) we are encouraged that the primary proposal in our paper, to discontinue the use of H. heidelbergensis (as a junior synonym to Homo neanderthalensis) due to its' nomenclatural problems, is acknowledged. (2) we provide additional clarification about the rules governing taxonomic nomenclature as outlined by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and join the growing calls for a revision to these rules. (3) we discuss further why H. rhodesiensis should be abandoned, particularly in light of the current sensitivity to using culturally inappropriate names. We conclude that H. bodoensis is a better solution than the proposed alternatives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Roksandic
- Department of Anthropology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.,DFG, Words Bones Genes Tools, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Predrag Radović
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.,National Museum Kraljevo, Kraljevo, Serbia
| | - Xiu-Jie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origin of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Christopher J Bae
- Department of Anthropology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| |
Collapse
|